11 June 2012

One of the most beautiful sights across fabulous Key West, Florida are the ubiquitous Royal Poinciana or "Flamboyant" trees. They are native to tropical regions and characterized by a flamboyant display of vivid red, vermilion, orange and/or yellow flowers.

Gorgeous. The downside: The trees are in bloom in June and July ... and many of the locals say it's a chore to remove the flowers.

The protest of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline came exactly one year before the 2012 election and was designed to send a message to Obama that failure to act will lead to a drop-off in enthusiasm from the environmentalists who backed him in 2008.

The project pits environmentalists against Republicans and many top labor groups — with both sides suggesting that the president will pay politically if he doesn't side with them. Backers of the project say the pipeline will create thousands of jobs and help reduce U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

TransCanada’s initial estimate of 20,000 — which it said includes 13,000 direct construction jobs and 7,000 jobs among supply manufacturers — has been widely quoted by lawmakers and presidential candidates.

[TransCanada chief executive Russ Girling] said Friday that the 13,000 figure was “one person, one year,” meaning that if the construction jobs lasted two years, the number of people employed in each of the two years would be 6,500. That brings the company’s number closer to the State Department’s [estimate of] 5,000 to 6,000 construction jobs.

The President acknowledged last week that he "will make the final decision" on the controversial project. The decision expected before year’s end.

Meanwhile: Nebraska lawmakers are opposed to the pipeline and introducted five bills on Thursday increasing their power to prevent or divert construction, reports BusinessWeek.

In related news: ExxonMobil begins removing today a section of damaged pipeline that broke beneath Montana’s Yellowstone River in July. "An estimated 42,000 gallons of oil leaked into the river" and the repair cost will be at least $135million, reports AP.

29 August 2010

Five years ago today, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf of Mexico coastline, displacing more than 250,000 people from Louisiana to Florida. The damage was catastrophic in New Orleans. The much-heralded levee system failed spectacularly and the rushing waters of Lake Ponchatrain engulfed much of the Crescent City. More than 1,500 people died in the days and months following the flood. Media coverage that followed was often criticized for its bias.

CBS News visits Plaquemines Parish, where Katrina first made landfall, "nearly wiping that place off the map. Tragically the first place hit has been the last place rebuilt.
Before Katrina about 15,000 people lived on the Parish's east and south
ends. Today it's about 3,500. Some low-lying communities look like ghost
towns."

FEMA admits its mistakes. "'We were spending too much time going back and forth over procedures,' [Administrator Craig Fugate]
said, adding that FEMA has learned to "focus on outcomes" since the
Obama administration put him in charge of the agency, which was vilified
for its slow response in Katrina's aftermath."

Watch the President's speech, news reports and personal stories AFTER THE JUMP

Two people died, one from breathing problems and the other from a heart attack, and two suffered injuries in road accidents as trucks, ambulances and buses were mobilized in the rescue operation. "This is the first time since 1600 that Sinabung has erupted and we have little knowledge in terms on its eruptive patterns," said Surono, head of Indonesia's vulcanology center. Authorities took at least 12,000 people from high risk areas on the slopes of the 2,460-meter volcano to temporary shelters. Local TV showed showed women and children wearing face masks in cramped tents. "Since this is the first eruption we've had in Sinabung, we're anticipating residents to remain at the shelters for at least a week while waiting for further status alert," said Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman at the national disaster management agency.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago and is on the so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and faults encircling the Pacific Basin.
A strong volcanic quake was felt last night, an Indonesian Red Cross tells CNN. "After that, the crater of Mount Sinabung spewed glowing lava. And trees in the mount slopes were burnt. It was followed by thick clouds."

Investigators say no hazardous gas hasbeen detected and "a large, destructive eruption is unlikely." The nearest large city is Medan and where there has been no disruptions to flights so far. Watch raw video and a news report WHEN YOU JUMP ...